Marks and Spencer Report

This report analyzes the leadership styles, management practices, and theories implemented by Marks and Spencer, a major British retailer. It examines the company's history, vision, and how it utilizes autocratic and consultative leadership, empowering employees, training and development programs, and scientific and behavioral management theories. The report also provides recommendations for improvement, suggesting the adoption of democratic leadership and system theory.

Individual Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main body...................................................................................................................................1
1. Brief history and summary of the Company...........................................................................1
2. Vision, leadership style, management practices and theories of the Marks and Spencer.......2
3. How leadership styles, management practices and theories have been achieved and
implemented by the Marks and Spencer.....................................................................................3
4. Recommendation on the leadership styles, management practices and theories....................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Leadership defines as the process of influencing the behaviour of the people in a manner
that they work willingly and enthusiastically towards the accomplishment of organisational goal.
A leader plays an important role in maintaining good interpersonal relation subordinates and
motivate them in terms of giving the best possible efforts towards achieving desired level of
outcome. Management practices also an important part of business which helps in improving the
effectiveness of the work system that can be possible only through creative and innovative idea.
Management practices affect the climate of the business environment(Higgs and Dulewicz,
2016). For example it includes team work which increase the trust and mutual respect among
team members which results in making healthy and collaborative working environment in the
organisation. The assignment will present the various leadership styles and management
practices which is followed by the Marks and Spencer company. Study will also define the
management theories of M&S.
Main body
1. Brief history and summary of the Company
The Marks and Spencer is a major British multinational retailer of the United Kingdom.
It was established by the Michel Marks and Thomas Spencer in 1884 at London. Company
specialises in selling clothing, home products and luxury food products. It has 979 stores across
the UK. M&S operates its business activities at the international level. It has 80,787 number of
employees which provides their services to customers worldwide. Company made its reputation
in the early 20th century with a policy of only selling British made products. For better
performance in the market place company entered into long-term relationship with British
manufactures and sold clothes and food products under the St Michael brand that was introduced
in 1928(Wilson, 2016).
The rational of choice behind choosing this company, as it is the big multinational retailer
in the united kingdom and it serves its business activities across the world. Marks and Spencer
also listed on the London stock exchange. It has 1380 stores around the world which provides the
goods and services to customers around the world. The reputation of the Marks and Spencer is
well known by the communities which provides the more penetration in the market to the
products of the company. Great reputation of products not attract just customers but also attract
talented and skilled employees towards the firm(Freear, 2015). Marks and Spencer have
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powerful human resource management policies which help the firm to ensure all the employees
goals and complaints are meet. Company invest heavily in technology as they are in a creative
industry such as advertisement for improving the productivity of the firm.
2. Vision, leadership style, management practices and theories of the Marks and Spencer
Vision statement
The vision statement of company is to provide a standard quality goods and services to
customers and gain higher level of values from consumers and also care for the environment &
community and to the working environment for employees. The company engaged in delivering
own brand food, clothing and home products in its stores and online both in the UK and
internationally(Strickland, 2017).
Leadership style
The marks and company follow the autocratic and consultative leadership styles in their
business environment which plays an important role in improving the overall performance of the
enterprise and improve the brand image of the firm in the market place.
Autocratic leadership style: Marks and Spencer leader adopt this type of leadership style at the
time when decision need to be made quickly without consulting with a large group of employees.
Some business operation requires strong leadership to get task accomplished quickly and
efficiently. Autocratic leaders of Marks and Spencer makes the decision based on their ideas and
judgement. Company with this type of leadership style includes absolute and authoritarian
control over a group(Bolden, 2016).
Consultative leadership style: It is defined as the Task oriented style. The Marks and Spencer
company follow this type of leadership style for contributing focus to the final result of the
leadership style such as the decision. In this style leader of the Marks and Spencer ask the
subordinate for opinions and also holds the authority of making the decision, leaders will first
listen the opinion of the employees and then make decision accordingly which results in the
higher productivity of the firm(Foote and Gaylard, 2018).
Management practice of the company
Marks and Spencer follow the various management practices for improving the
effectiveness of overall business activities such as empowering employees and training and
development of the staff.
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Empowering employees: M&S follow the management practice such as empowering
employees, with the help of this practice manager give permission to employees for making
decision in the organisation which encourage employees interest towards the work that is
important for growing a sustainable business of marks and spencer. Empowerment is desirable
management practice which enable employee to exercise autonomy, control their jobs and ability
to provides the benefits to both Marks and spencer as well as themselves(Schaltegger, Hansen
and Spitzeck, 2016).
Training & development: Marks and Spencer follow the Training and development practice for
improving the skill and knowledge of the employees which results in the higher productivity of
the employees. This management practice are essential for the success of every industrial unit
because it improves the overall performance of the company. Employees with high level of skill
and knowledge provides the creative and innovative ideas to the management.
Management theory of the enterprise
Marks and spencer follow the scientific management theory for minimizing the waste and
reducing production time. Through using this theory M&S promotes, standardisation,
specialisation and extensive training & supervision which results in achieving efficiency and
productivity of the company. By using this theory managers provides the way to employees for
completing the task effectively(Waring, 2016).
Marks and spencer also follow the behavioural management theory which includes
people oriented methods. Company follow this theory for maintaining human behaviour at the
work place and also satisfying the interpersonal needs of the employees which are essential part
of organisational success in the global market. Manager of the M&S use this theory for
motivating the team work through providing the collaborative working environment to the
employees in the company(Ahmed, 2016).
3. How leadership styles, management practices and theories have been achieved and
implemented by the Marks and Spencer
The achievement and implementation of the leadership styles
Marks and spencer company achieved the Autocratic leadership style for making decision
quickly and especially in the stress filed situation. In this work tends to be highly structured and
very rigid because leaders of the company make all the decisions. M&S implement this style of
leadership for providing clear task information, a deadline and rules to follow for ensuring that
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project are finished on the time and workers follow safety rules to prevent accidents and
injuries(Storey, 2016). For example in the production department of the Marks and spencer,
autocratic leaders enhance the efficiency of the productions through giving sufficient knowledge
for operating the machinery.
Marks and spencer achieved the consultative leadership style due to firms
underperformance issues. This style saves the M&S' companies reputation and returns it to core
its core strength. In this style companies leader make the decision but at the same time opinion
of the staff taking into consideration in order to follow the companies' reputation. Employees
involvement in the decision making leads to the effective achievement of the organisational
goals.
Achievement and implementation of management practices
Management practices such as empowering employees is achieved by the Marks and
Spencer through clearly communicating a clear vision of the company to the employees and also
defining the roles and responsibilities of the staff. This management practice ensure the happy
and productive employees which are essential part of the success of business firms. For example
marks and spencer management style includes sharing the goals, sharing the each employees'
expectation and framework with the employees. Employees with empowerment enable to
perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively without feeling as if they are waiting for
direction and waiting for permission to act(Stein, 2015).
Marks and Spencer achieved the training and development practice of management for
retaining the employees in their business. Company provides the training to employees
according to their training needs. It is implemented by the M&S for improving the skill and
knowledge of the employees which results in the higher productivity of the firm because
employees with high skilled knowledge work effectively for attaining the desired level of
outcome. Company provides both the on the job and off the job training programs to the
employees which facilitate employees to gain knowledge both on the job and of the job(Rashid,
2016).
Achievement and implementation of the management theories
Marks and spencer achieved the scientific management theory by paying its employees in
order to improve the efficiency of each individual in the firm. Through implementing this theory
M&S eliminates wasteful time and motions in performing various activities because it
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introduced time and motion studies to increase contribution to organisational goal. For example
marks and spencer emphasised on scientific selection, education and development of workers so
that problem solving is not based on the random decision making(Davis, 2015). This theory is
based on the right person for the right job are selected because it advocated selection on the basis
of job requirements.
4. Recommendation on the leadership styles, management practices and theories
Marks and spencer follow the Autocratic leadership styles which some time results in less
productivity of the firm due to increasing employees turn because this leadership styles put the
pressure on employees to work effectively towards the attainment of the organisational goal. It
can be particularly problematic when skilled and capable employee of the M&S are left feeling
that their knowledge and contribution are undermined. To deal with this problem marks and
spencer company need to adopt the democratic leadership style which provides the opportunities
to employees in terms of taking participation in the decision making process which encourage
employees to do work with better accountability which results in the higher productivity of the
firm(Shiel and Jones, 2016).
Marks and spencer company use the management practice such as empowering
employees it has negative impact on the organisation because some employees confuse
empowerment and being able to make their own decisions with having authority to do whatever
they want which results in terms of interpersonal relations with in the company will suffer and
incident involving conflict arises. M&S can improve this management practice through
providing empowering opportunities to only those employees who have experience and can
perform work effectively under pressure as well as stop activities which provide this opportunity
to those employees who do not have idea about using the appropriate authority which is
provided by the management(Goffee and Scase, 2015).
The management theory such as scientific management has a narrow view of
management which focuses on efficiency at the lower level. Management of whole Marks and
spencer is not taken into consideration. This theory also leads to conflict among the employees
due to different wage rate system. Company can implement the system theory for improving the
performance of the marks and spencer because this theory provides the theoretical framework
for study about the performance of the business. Business firm with this system theory
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effectively identified the fact that can arises the conflict in the working environment and reduce
the conflict level among the employees(Drucker, 2017).
CONCLUSION
The above study has been summarised with that the organisation with good leadership
styles influence his employees and bring them under his control on such as way that they give
their best efforts in the accomplishment of organisational goal. Management practices plays an
important role in improving the overall performance of the employees because it includes the
training and development practice which provides training to employees according their
requirements which results in high productivity of the employees as well as enterprise.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Ahmed, U., 2016. Marks & Spencer: A Global Expansion to Acquire Lost Momentum?.
In Market Entry in China (pp. 61-72). Springer, Cham.
Bolden, R., 2016. Leadership, management and organisational development. In Gower
handbook of leadership and management development (pp. 143-158). Routledge.
Davis, R and et.al., 2015. Theories of behaviour and behaviour change across the social and
behavioural sciences: a scoping review. Health psychology review. 9(3). pp.323-344.
Drucker, P.F., 2017. The Theory of the Business (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard
Business Press.
Foote, A. and Gaylard, A., 2018. Barbara queally: A 180 change in leadership style part A. Wits
Business School.
Freear, J., 2015. Marks and Spencer and the social history of food c. 1950-1980, with particular
reference to the relationship between consumer behaviour and retailing
strategies(Doctoral dissertation, University of Leeds).
Goffee, R. and Scase, R., 2015. Corporate Realities (Routledge Revivals): The Dynamics of
Large and Small Organisations. Routledge.
Higgs, M. and Dulewicz, V., 2016. Developments in leadership thinking. In Leading with
Emotional Intelligence (pp. 75-103). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Rashid, M.D., 2016. Perception of Employee’s about the Human Resource Management
Practices (Talent Management) in Marks and Spencer in Waterloo, London(Doctoral
dissertation, University of East London).
Schaltegger, S., Hansen, E.G. and Spitzeck, H., 2016. Corporate Sustainability Management.
In Sustainability Science (pp. 85-97). Springer, Dordrecht.
Shiel, C. and Jones, D., 2016. Sustainability and social justice: Leadership challenges.
In Assembling and Governing the Higher Education Institution (pp. 11-34). Palgrave
Macmillan, London.
Stein, K., 2015. Effective allergen management practices to reduce allergens in food.
In Handbook of food allergen detection and control (pp. 103-131). Woodhead
Publishing.
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Storey, J., 2016. Changing theories of leadership and leadership development. In Leadership in
Organizations (pp. 33-58). Routledge.
Strickland, J., 2017. Organisation and objectives. In The International Business Archives
Handbook (pp. 173-195). Routledge.
Waring, S.P., 2016. Taylorism transformed: Scientific management theory since 1945. UNC
Press Books.
Wilson, D., 2016. Marks & Spencer: the quest to master the new millennium. The Business &
Management Collection.
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